321 Books - St. Petersburg, FL

321 Books, St. Petersburg, FL

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If I were going to open a used bookstore (I'm not) or if I knew someone who was, I would put Tim R. on my cell phone speed dial.  Tim is the owner of 321 Books in St. Petersburg, in business for just over a year.  This guy is informed, knowledgeable, business-savvy, and on top of it all one friendly person to visit with about the store and the book business.  I cannot possibly recount everything he told me but it was enough to understand his book business is like nothing I've encountered.  The store is located in the Tyrone Square Mall, in a former GAP store, not a typical space for an independent bookstore.  But from my visit, I only saw the tip of the iceberg of this incredible operation.

The store is home to over 90,000 books but there will always be an emphasis for kids.  Tim is looking to give books away to kids and in their first year gave away 700,000, 300,000 short of his one million goal.  Schools and school librarians would be wise to contact 321 Books and Tim to ask about free books.  He acquires his inventory from several sources, including many charitable organizations.  The store buys 100,000 lbs of books a week, or 50 tons (you might want to reread that sentence).  There is a huge warehouse to store this inventory and Tim has enough to open 7-8 additional 321 stores, something that he is actively pursuing.  Those 90,000 books are only a fraction of the store's business.  The volume of books that come into the warehouse include books that are of value to collectors and others.  Those books are offered and sold online which is a big part of the business.

The store is very spacious, roomy, and light.  It does not have the feel of a used bookstore and you will love the prices, $3 for hardbacks and $1-2 for paperbacks.  They have lots of kid's events that include Disney characters, Santa Claus, and the Easter bunny to name just a few.  I didn't smell books at this store but I did smell popcorn (more indies should do this!).  Grab a .25 bag of popcorn, find a book to sample, and enjoy one of their over-stuffed chairs.

You might think a bookstore is a dinosaur in a conventional mall setting.  Not so here.  321 Books has more Facebook likes and reviews than all of the other mall's stores combined!  Congratulations 321 and Tim on your 1st year of business and a great start.

This bookstore is a rising star and I think there will soon be more to go along with it.  It's on the cusp of big things and is poised to shake up the industry.  Check this one out and you'll see what I mean.  Go to an indie and buy a book.  Bonsoir.

JUST FINISHED:  Blue Heaven, C. J. Box.  I've read two books by this author and loved them both.  This one is the story of two kids who witness a murder in the backwoods of Idaho.  The murderers know the kids saw them and now the chase is on.  A mystery/thriller that I thoroughly enjoyed.  Recommended.

CURRENTLY READING:  Origin, Dan Brown.

RECENTLY PURCHASED:  Not purchased but gifted, In The Unlikely Event, Judy Blume.  A 321 Books t-shirt.  Thanks Tim.    

An attractive storefront.

Yes, you'll be going to the Tyrone Square Mall to visit this store.  Don't worry, it's a good thing for this indie.  

The store has two entrances.  This is the entrance that looks into the children's department.  

I love the book art in this display window.  

Wow!  Bring your gift cards to this bookstore.  

This is the view looking into the main entrance, a great view of the store's space.  

This doubles as a Christmas tree during the holiday season.  

Looking to the right of the main entrance.  

This store did a bike give-away.  What a great idea!

A super table display for kids.  Check out the prices on the paper bag in the center of the table.  

Game Of Thrones fans, here you go.  

This headless mannequin stands over another terrific book display.  

I wish more indies would offer their regular customers sale incentives.  I think the one they have here is great.  Get a t-shirt and you will instantly have $20 of store credit.  Wear your shirt to the store on one of their VIP days and you can get anything in the store for a dollar.  

Great seats to try out a book.  

Or you can get serious and stretch out and pretend to read a book.  

Skip the shopping basket, you're going to need the shopping cart.  

A great deal for kids.  

Lots of CDs and DVDs to pick from with more coming into the store all the time.  

These prices are why you'll need a shopping cart.  

Yes, you might as well get a bag too.  

The store always has promotions.  

YES!  Please, more of this indies.  Very low overhead and .25/bag.  

Lots of book aisles like this one.  

Words to live by and another great place to sit and read.  

Overview of the store looking from the back toward the front entrance.  

With Tim on the right, the fine owner at 321 Books.  See that shirt I'm wearing?  Pick from a variety of 321 shirts and you'll instantly get $20 of store credit.  Thanks for a great visit.  

Let's Play Books - Emmaus, PA

Let's Play Books Bookstore, Emmaus, PA

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Here's another one, readers, another relatively new indie that is an up and comer.  Let's Play Books has only been doing its thing for 4 years and even less than that at its current location.  Yet, in this small town of approximately 11,000, it has seen good growth each year.  And when you visit their store, you'll have an appreciation for the creativity and work that went into it (and I think they're just at the tip of the iceberg in this department!).  Congratulations to Kirsten and Jim who have put this winning formula together.  

Let's Play Books began its business as a children's book and toy store.  But as parents came into the store with their kids, they started placing book orders for themselves (another example of great customer service from an independent bookstore).  Like all good owners, Kirsten and Jim decided to utilize their flexibility and transform the store to include adult titles.  I think they've done a great job of this while still making the children's portion prominent.  So now they offer all new books for all ages of readers.  I thought the adult titles offered were excellent.  Additionally, they offer a nice assortment of sidelines including greeting cards, stationery, journals, and socks to name a few.  As Jim told me, the sidelines are a critical part of the business.

The store has three levels with the top floor, or attic level, used exclusively for events.  Kids will love this space and it is available for birthday parties, a great thing for the business.  They're also host to book clubs, author events, and story times.  On the Saturday afternoon of my visit the store was packed for a children's event.

I think one of the most impressive things here is the store's interior.  The art work, painting, lighting, and decorating is outstanding and very representative of the new wave of bookstores I've been visiting.  And the cherry on the top of this are the two cats you'll meet when you visit, Garfield (feel free to pet), and Bernie (be careful, can be impulsive).

Jim and Cathryn, one of the staffers, were both great to meet and talk to.  In addition to talking about books, Jim gave me a list of Pennsylvania bookstores that I still have to visit so I'm happy to say that my journey will continue onward!  Thankfully, Let's Play Books has a good core of local customers but the tourists and out-of-towners are still in the discovery phase.  To those people, the honeymoon is over.  Find your way to this great gem that you will thoroughly enjoy.  And if you have kids make sure you bring them too.   Go to an indie and buy a book.  Bonsoir.

JUST FINISHED:  Why Dogs Chase Cars, George Singleton.  There were passages in this book that were absolutely some of the funniest stuff I've ever read, truly laugh out loud.  Mendal tells his story of growing up in small town North Carolina in a series of chapters that are reflections of his childhood.  Very creative writing and story-telling.  Recommended.

CURRENTLY READING:  Blue Heaven, C. J. Box.

RECENTLY PURCHASED:  Montana 1948, Larry Watson.  

Another exterior view.  

A very attractive front window display.  

A nice welcome counter right inside the entrance.  

View looking to the right and into the bookstore from the entrance.  The shelves pictured are the adult fiction section and it may not look like much but I was very impressed with the titles they offered.  You can tell this has been carefully curated.  

Timely and relevant table display just to the right after entering the main room.  

A portion of the books by local authors and of local interest.

A great place to sit and try out a book or two.  

This is the book that was the inspiration for this journey I'm now on.  It is available in the original hardback or paperback edition and the paperback includes some additional bookstores.  If you're a fan of bookstores, pick this up and start a journey you will never forget.

Even if you don't see Bernie and Garfield, this is the giveaway that they're around.  

This is a very unique display of birds that tweet their own unique tweet.  

A wonderful display of books that teach.

Many bookstores have crazy socks for adults, this one has them for kids.  

View looking into the kids' room, in the rear of the main floor.  

Creative display in the kids' room that will grab their attention.  

You'll find a variety on the 2nd floor.  

2nd floor and to the left, you'll find the member's lounge, a nice meeting area and gathering space.  Make sure you ask about the membership program.  

View looking into the member's lounge.

There's something very Harry Potter-ish about this.  A bathroom, on the 2nd floor, haunted?

Harry Potter-ish indeed!  Amazon, this is how indie bookstores do bathrooms!

Another room with a nice assortment of kids books on the 2nd floor.  

Take a book break and play some chess.  

This is a closet that has been transformed into a very comfy reading room for kids.  

This is the kind of creativity you see in independent bookstores.  I love what they've done with this staircase.  

Looking into the 3rd floor attic kids and events space.

You can see why this sets up so nicely for birthday parties.  

Another view, and through those windows you get a great view down onto the street.  

I'm pretty sure this is Bernie but he is fast and I don't know how I ever got his picture!

If you have a cat or a dog in your bookstore, I think posting their bios, pictures, and social media information is a must!

A wonderful piece of artwork.  

With Cathryn in front and Jim on the right, two of the fine people you'll meet at Let's Play Books.  Thanks for a great visit.